Field Journal Photography Blog

I was watching the small birds visiting my bird feeder and decided to take a few quick photographs. When I saw this Lesser Goldfinch land on the color-changing LED Solar Dragonfly Mobile, I took this quick shot.

You can take seemingly ordinary situations and create a stunning and surprising image.

Robinson R22

January 20, 2014

I was at the Prescott, Arizona airport practicing photographing aircraft taking off and landing with my Nikon D4 and Nikon 80-400 mm telephoto lens when I photographed this Robinson R22 light utility helicopter flying over me. I posted this as it is an unusual perspective of a helicopter.

Airports are great locations to learn how to take action shots.

The Robinson R22 has undisputedly been the world's most popular light helicopter since its introduction in the late 1970s. The price is around $315,000.

Embry-Riddle’s new Helicopter Flight Training Program uses the Schweizer 300C ™, Robinson R22, and Robinson R44 IFR helicopters in the student flight-training program in Prescott, Arizona. I frequently see these helicopters flying around the airport.

I was photographing this Great Blue Heron at Lynx Lake, Prescott, Arizona when I watched it begin taking to flight across the lagoon. Although at a distance, I wanted to shoot it as it was lifting off from the rocks. It was so graceful.

The Great Blue Heron is a large water bird which can grow up to four feet tall, with a wingspan of nearly six feet as an adult.

Thanks to specially shaped neck vertebrae, Great Blue Herons can curl their neck into an 'S' shape for a more aerodynamic flight profile and to quickly strike prey at a distance.

Great Blue Herons have specialized feathers on their chest that continually grow and fray. The herons comb this “powder down” with a fringed claw on their middle toes, using the down like a washcloth to remove fish slime and other oils from their feathers as they preen. Applying the powder to their underparts protects their feathers against the slime and oils of swamps.

I was on my way to photograph a new location when I observed several Ravens soaring in the winds above me. I watched these Ravens flying close to each other in shifting maneuvers during high winds. I waited for an unusual perspective and took this photograph. The Ravens are challenging to photograph given their speed and wild flying style.

The intriguing Common Raven has accompanied people around the Northern Hemisphere for centuries, following their wagons, sleds, sleighs, and hunting parties in hopes of a quick meal. Ravens are among the smartest of all birds.

Ravens can soar high above the trees, unlike crows, which rely on active flight. Ravens are capable of aerial stunts similar to those executed by the birds of prey.

Raven's calls can express tenderness, happiness, surprise, emotion or rage. Ravens can imitate birds with the same vocal note, mimicking the crows. The penetrating loud croak signals that something has disturbed the raven. Some say they can be even taught to learn the human speech.

I have photographed many squirrels over the years, and I have never seen a squirrel with ears shaped like the Albert's Squirrel. I watched as the squirrel at Lynx Lake, Prescott, Arizona climbed the tree and rested on the broken branch. Since then I have photographed the Albert's Squirrel several times, and I have found it to be very curious and photogenic.

Abert's squirrels are unique mammals found anywhere where there are enough Ponderosa pine trees to supply their nutritional needs. Identified by their dark gray backs with a red-brown patch, white bellies, and long fluffy white tails the most distinctive feature of Abert's squirrels are their big tufted ears. Abert's squirrels feed on the cones, buds, and twigs of Ponderosa pine trees as well as fungus and tree sap. With no apparent fear of heights, they can often be seen high in trees scurrying from branch to branch looking for food.

Most of the Abert's squirrel's diet is made up of parts of the ponderosa pine. In warm months, it eats the tree's seeds and buds. In the winter it eats the inner bark of the tree. It sometimes eats mistletoe and fungi.

Unlike other North American squirrels, it doesn't store its food. Its nest is habitually built in a ponderosa pine in a group of twigs infected with mistletoe. The nest sits 20-40 feet above the ground and is made of twigs and lined with materials like grass, leaves, feathers, moss and pieces of bark.

I was hiking around Lynx Lake, Prescott, Arizona looking for wildlife to photograph when I saw this adult Bald Eagle sitting in a barren tree. To get close enough to take a shot I needed to climb a steep cliff.

Since I frequently carry 30+ pounds of camera gear, this is not a simple task. I didn't want to disturb the eagle, so I walked slowly and close enough for my telephoto lens to offer an effective photograph without intrusion. I took this quick shot at the nearest point before it flew away.

Thus far, I have seen one male and one female adult Bald Eagle and one juvenile Bald Eagle. I found out that there is a nest on private property near the lake. As you can imagine, tracking and photographing an eagle up close in the wild is a wonderful experience.

Juvenile Bald Eagles are a mixture of brown and white. They reach full maturity in four to five years.

Bald Eagles can fly to an altitude of 10,000 feet. During level flight, they can achieve speeds of about 30 to 35 mph.

I took this photograph of an old 50s-60s gas station (now a diner) in Cottonwood, Arizona. I was across the street shooting between passing cars. If you are like me, I'm sure this image will bring back very powerful memories.

I was drafted out of college in 1968 and served 14-months in the U.S. Army in Vietnam. When I returned to the states, everything seemed to have changed.

The 70s were a "pivot of change" as described by historians. It was a cultural shock. I found that cars were different. That women's dresses were shorter.

The 1970s were a tumultuous time. In some ways, the decade was a continuation of the 1960s. Women, African Americans, Native Americans, gays and lesbians and other marginalized people continued their fight for equality, and many Americans joined the protest against the ongoing war in Vietnam.

In some ways, though, 1960s liberalism continued to flourish. For example, the crusade to protect the environment from all sorts of assaults–toxic industrial waste in places like Love Canal, New York; dangerous meltdowns at nuclear power plants such as the one at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania; highways through city neighborhoods–took off during the 1970s.

Americans celebrated the first Earth Day in 1970, and Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act that same year. The Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act followed two years later. The oil crisis of the late 1970s drew further attention to the issue of conservation. By then, environmentalism was so mainstream that the U.S. Forest Service’s Woodsy Owl interrupted Saturday morning cartoons to remind kids to “Give a Hoot; Don’t Pollute.”

During the 1970s, many groups of Americans continued to fight for expanded social and political rights. In 1972, after years of campaigning by feminists, Congress approved the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the Constitution, which reads: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” It seemed that the Amendment would pass easily. Twenty-two of the necessary 38 states ratified it right away, and the remaining states seemed close behind. However, the ERA alarmed many conservative activists, who feared that it would undermine traditional gender roles. These activists mobilized against the Amendment and managed to defeat it. In 1977, Indiana became the 35th–and last–state to ratify the ERA.

Disappointments like these encouraged many women’s rights activists to turn away from politics. They began to build feminist communities and organizations of their own: art galleries and bookstores, consciousness-raising groups, daycare and women’s health collectives (such as the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, which published “Our Bodies, Ourselves” in 1973), rape crisis centers and abortion clinics.

I was photographing wildlife at Dead Horse State Ranch, Cottonwood, Arizona around one of the three lagoons when I saw this immature Green Heron at a lagoon. I was excited as this was the first time that I had observed a Green Heron in the wild.

Compared with most Herons, Green Herons are short and stocky, with relatively short legs and thick necks that are often drawn up against their bodies. They have broad, rounded wings and a long, daggerlike bill. They sometimes raise their crown feathers into a short crest.

The Green Heron is rather solitary, feeding alone or in pairs. A wary bird, it erects its short crest, straightens its neck, and nervously flicks its short tail when alarmed. It is often first noticed when it flushes unexpectedly from the edge of the water and flies off uttering its sharp call. Our smallest heron except for the diminutive Least Bittern, the Green Heron preys on a wide variety of insects, frogs, and small fish; its broad diet enables it to breed on small inland ponds and marshes that won't support other herons. It stretches its neck and bill forward as if taking aim, and, after a few elaborately cautious steps, seizes the fish with a jab of its bill.

While photographing at Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Cottonwood, Arizona, I watched these two White-faced Ibis exploring the lagoon. They were beautiful to watch and appeared to be a couple. It had been many years since I first saw and photographed a White-faced Ibis. When they took flight, you could see beautiful shimmering green wings.

White-faced ibises are declining throughout North America, where continuing threats include draining of wetlands and the widespread use of pesticides.

A group of ibises has many collective nouns, including a "congregation", "stand", and "wedge" of ibises.

Ibises often forage in association with taller wading birds such as herons or Great Egrets. The constant probing of the Ibis's bill may scare up prey for the heron that is out of the Ibis's reach. In return the Ibis receives extra warning of predators such as Peregrine Falcons or Red-tailed Hawks by taking advantage of the taller bird's wariness and larger field of view. When feeding in irrigated rice, barley, and hay fields they are often seen with flocks of gulls. This association is unlikely to benefit the Ibis as gulls are apt to steal their prey before they can swallow it.

Photographing at Lynx Lake, Prescott, Arizona I discovered what appeared to be the remains of a Doe. Perhaps a mountain lion that inhabits the area killed the Doe. While sad to see, I know that this is also part of nature and therefore, I decided to present this photograph in my Field Journal Photography Blog of experiences I have when photographing.

A mountain lion requires 8 to 10 pounds of meat per day to survive. Its diet consists of deer, elk, porcupines, small mammals, livestock, and pets. Mountain Lions prefers deer. Experts tell us a Mountain Lion kills one deer every 9 to 14 days.

During a hike at Watson Lake, Arizona I followed the sound of bullfrogs behind a dam and discovered this bullfrog in a small stream. I took this photograph from as close as I was able to get without disturbing the frog.

We looked at each other for a while, and I enjoyed the experience.

The American bullfrog is a carnivorous amphibian and has a voracious appetite, consuming almost anything it can fit in its mouth and swallow. It is an opportunistic predator and has a very varied diet, consisting of insects, earthworms, crayfish, spiders, and snails.

The American bullfrog catches prey using its large, sticky tongue, after lying in wait for its victim. It also consumes larger prey, including snakes, birds, turtles, and frogs, as well as bats and other small mammals and it has even been known to catch swallows flying low over the water. Cannibalism is prevalent in the American bullfrog, with other individuals of the same species thought to constitute up to 80 percent of its diet.

The baritone call of the bullfrog is so deep and resonant, it resembles the mooing of a cow, hence its name. Only males emit this trademark "jug-o-rum" bellow, and their choruses can be heard during the day or night.

The largest of all North American frogs, this giant, can grow to a length of 8 inches (20 centimeters) or more and weigh up to 1.5 pounds (750 grams). Even the tadpoles of this species can reach 6.75 inches (17.2 centimeters) in length.

I was photographing at the Courthouse Square, Prescott, Arizona when I saw this German Shepard. I liked the dog's attentiveness and expression and took this shot.

The German Shepherd Dog is hailed as the world's leading police, guard and military dog. German Shepherd Rescue of the Rockies is a volunteer run German Shepherd Dog rescue organization located in Denver, Colorado.

A well bred German Shepherd Dog is an outstanding companion pet that needs to have a purpose in his or her life. Since they are naturally highly protective, they do need to be regularly and routinely socialized, starting from a very early age.

Despite their somewhat ferocious reputation, most German Shepherd Dogs, at least once socialized, are very calm, dependable dogs that are more likely to think through a problem than react with aggression.

I was photographing wildlife and nature and hiking along the Verde River. I observed and photographed this rider at Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Cottonwood, Arizona near the Verde River. He was leading several other riders and turned to see how they were doing. It seemed like a scene out of a Western show.

Years ago I owned several horses including a Paint, Quarter Horse and even a Shetland pony for my daughter, Kelly. I enjoyed trail rides either alone or with other riders.

On February 28, 1959, a U.S. Air Force Lockheed C-121G Super Constellation, a large four-engine aircraft flying from Litchfield Park NAS, Phoenix, Arizona to the Prescott Airport plummeted nose-first and into Prescott's Granite Dells during a training mission. Five U.S. Navy servicemen lost their lives.

I was hiking the Constellation Trail when I photographed some of the small twisted metal fragments of the crash. It was a sobering experience imagining the tragic event.

A number of factors make evaluation of the crash difficult. For one thing, it happened 52 years ago - at a time before airplanes carried the recording technology that is common today, said Robert Fiegl, department chair of aeronautical science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

"They didn't have flight recorders back then," Fiegl said, noting that the final conversations among the crewmembers were lost. In addition, Fiegl added," There wouldn't have been a control tower (at the Prescott Airport)."

Another major factor in the investigation: The crash involved a military aircraft. Fiegl, who retired from the Navy several years ago after 38 years, said the military's involvement put the crash investigation under strict confidentiality rules. That is apparent in the Freedom of Information Act response letter that Carlsbad, Calif., resident Merritt Chafey received in 1996 from the Headquarters Air Force Safety Agency concerning the 1959 crash.

According to the account in The Arizona Republic - on file at the Arizona History and Archives Division of the Arizona State Library - "Persons miles away from the crash scene said they saw a huge flame billow into the sky and heard a tremendous explosion. Others were attracted to the scene by huge clouds of black smoke."

Long-time resident and local historian Elisabeth Ruffner, 91, was among those who felt the impact. "I was standing in my kitchen, and I heard the crash," she said recently, explaining that she and her family then lived near the Antelope Hills Golf Course, not far from the Highway 89 crash site.

At Lynx Lake, Prescott, Arizona I was walking along the trail near the water when I watched this turtle climbing the bank. Observing the Red-eared Slider was exciting as it was my first-time observing one in nature. It is not a normal resident and most likely someone abandon two or more years ago.

The red-eared slider is perhaps the best-known and most recognizable of turtles. It is a medium-sized turtle with a dark green oval shell, marked with yellow in younger turtles, green legs with thin yellow stripes and a green head with a red stripe behind the eye.

Red-eared Sliders can stay under water for a couple of hours. This is usually done while they are sleeping. When they are awake, they can only hold their breath for around a half hour. The reason they can hold it longer while sleeping is because their body functions slow down.

Raccoons, otters, mink, foxes, and other medium-sized animals will prey on turtles and their eggs. Painted turtles keep a watch out for predators and seek refuge in the water at the first sign of danger. For protection, they can quickly retract their head and legs into their hard shell.

Red-eared Sliders bask in groups on logs, fallen trees, and other objects near water (see photo). The sun exposure helps rid them of parasites. The red-eared slider is known to quickly slide off rocks and logs when approached.

Reptiles do not hibernate but actually brumate, becoming less active but occasionally rising for food or water. Red-eared sliders brumate over the winter at the bottom of ponds or shallow lakes and they become inactive, generally, in October, when temperatures fall below 50 °F (10 °C).

In the garden department of Lowe's, Prescott, Arizona a pair of Great Horned Owls make their home as they have for several years. This day, I photographed (at the extreme capability of my telephoto lens) the adult female and the Owlet as they watched me.

They sat high above me on a large pallet and shot this at the extreme end of my telephoto capability.

UPDATE: Unfortunately both the female and male Great Horned Owls have not returned to Lowe's for about two years. Hopefully, they just relocated.

With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl, is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs. It’s one of the most common owls in North America, equally at home in deserts.

The great horned owl is nocturnal. It hunts small mammals like mice, rabbits, squirrels and skunks. It also eats birds like ducks and quail. It eats small prey whole, larger prey it rips up into smaller pieces that are can swallow. It regurgitates or throws up the undigested parts, like bones and fur, in owl pellets. You can often tell what an owl has eaten by looking at these pellets.

A friend of mine from Tucson met me at Lynx Lake, Prescott, Arizona to pick up a telephoto lens I sold to him. I suggested that he might have an opportunity to photograph raptors. Within a short time, I saw this Osprey looking for fish and then landing on this tree. I slowly walked around a lagoon and took this photograph.

Ospreys search for fish by flying on steady wingbeats and bowed wings or circling high in the sky over relatively shallow water. They often hover briefly before diving, feet first, to grab a fish. You can often clearly see an Osprey's catch in its talons as the bird carries it back to a nest or perch.

Females usually show dark necklace across the white breast.

Ospreys are the only large raptors with extensive, unmarked white on the belly. Immature Bald Eagles may be extensively mottled with white on their dark brown bodies, but they do not show the Osprey’s clean white underparts, and young Bald Eagles do not have white heads, either.

Bald Eagles are much stockier and heavier-bodied than the lanky Osprey. Red-tailed Hawks have much stouter, broad wings (without the Osprey’s kink at the wrists) and a shorter, broader tail. Though Red-tailed Hawks usually have pale underparts, they are streaked with brown, particularly across the belly.

It is also rare to see a Red-tailed Hawk going after fish; they stick primarily to mammals. Turkey Vultures are all dark, and when soaring high in the sky, their long, broad wings are straight rather than kinked.

I was photographing around the Courthouse Square, Prescott, Arizona when I saw this very cute puppy and asked the owner to allow me to photograph it. The Courthouse Square is an excellent place to photograph people and animals.

I decided to photograph lake scenes with the red granite boulders as contrast. I took this picture at Watson Lake, Prescott, Arizona. Watson Lake's water surface is about 380 surface acres and is characterized by its sky calm blue waters surrounded by granite boulders with protruding vegetation.

Watson Lake is conveniently located about 4 miles from downtown Prescott Arizona and features fishing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, rock climbing, camping and day picnicking.

A variety of birds, especially migratory and wintering waterfowl, can be seen along the lake and in the cottonwood gallery forest, which is home to an active great blue heron rookery and many pairs of beautiful wood ducks.

Bald eagles and osprey also occasionally stop by. Look beyond the lake, and you may find mule deer, javelina, and pronghorn. A variety of reptiles and amphibians inhabit the lake and its shores, including Clark’s spiny lizard, plateau lizard, eastern collared lizard, terrestrial garter snake, Woodhouse’s toad, and red-spotted toad.

At the Courthouse Square, Prescott, Arizona I saw this woman beautifully playing the harp. Soon these two young children were drawn to the music, and she was kind enough to let them touch the harp strings. I quickly took this photograph of their joyous interaction. I found out that a few weeks later she played at a wedding of some friends.

The word “harp” means to pull or pluck. Harps are among the most ancient instruments in the world.Much of what we know about ancient harps comes from paintings and carvings from those days. Most early harps were bow-shaped without the front column (pillar or post) that harps have now, leading most people to believe that the first harps were probably formed from a hunter’s bow, inspired by the twang of the string when the arrow was shot.

Paintings and carvings from around 2000 BCE show some harps with an angular shape. Sometime between ancient and medieval times (maybe in the 14th or 15th century CE), a third section (the column or post) was added to the harp, creating the well-known triangle shape. Over the years, strings have been made of twisted hide, fiber, animal tendon, horsehair, or gut.

Ancient people treated harps with great respect and even awe. As a symbol, the harp has often represented the unifying of earth and heaven as well as the link between inner spirituality and outer physicality. It was not unusual for ancient people to consider harps as mystical doors or ladders into realms of the “other-world.” That’s why angels and other messengers of gods were often pictured carrying a harp. As a result, the harp is often seen as representing communication with the divine.

I took this photograph from the Airport Mesa, Sedona, Arizona. You can see amazing sunsets here. You might see people with picnic baskets laden with wine and snacks on the mesa.

This Vortex site is said to produce a subtle fluctuations which are said to recharges the physical body and help in opening ones body’s energy centers referred to as chakras. In the background, you can see Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock.

The power of that vortex is also felt to be superb for improving psychic capabilities and growing one’s spiritual awareness.

There is an empty field near my home, and I was pleasantly surprised to see this Ring-necked Pheasant grazing. It was very colorful and appeared to be curious about me as I took photographs.

They forage on the ground in fields, where they eat waste grain, other seeds, and insects when available. Ring-necked Pheasants usually walk or run and only occasionally resort to flying, usually when disturbed at close range by humans or other predators. Males give a loud, cackling display that can be heard over long distances.

Adult male unmistakable. Female similar to a number of species of female grouse but has a much longer, pointed tail and bare legs. Female Sharp-tailed Grouse also has a pointed tail but is shorter-necked, has a slight crest, has white outer tail feathers, a shorter tail, and feathered legs. Female Sage Grouse has a dark belly patch and feathered legs.

During certain times of the year, peregrine falcons nest on the rugged basalt crags of Thumb Butte. There may be closures in place to protect their habitat—please obey all posted signs. Virgil Earp, Wyatt's older brother, once owned a sawmill in the area, which he sold when he moved to Tombstone.

During a threatening nearby forest fire, I was at the Prescott Airport, Arizona when I photographed this S-64 “Skycrane” preparing to land and receive more water.

I know that they made a difference in containing the fire.

The S-64 “Skycrane” was originally designed for the military and had interchangeable pods that fit underneath for troop transport and cargo movement. The S-64 has six rotor blades and two turbine-powered jet engines, which allows it to carry heavy loads.

In 1992 Erickson Air Crane purchased the manufacturing rights to the S-64 and modified it to carry a 2,650-gallon tank. The tank can be filled by a draft hose in less than one minute, while the helicopter is hovering. The S-64 requires a pilot and co-pilot to fly it and typically has a 6 to 8 person support crew

After photographing the S-64 "Skycrane," at the Prescott Airport, Arizona, I also photographed this number 55, P-2V Neptune. When the landing gear on this air tanker #55 failed on Sunday, June 3, 2012, the plane's left side landing gear would not extend, and the pilots were forced to make an emergency belly landing at the Miden-Tahoe Airport in Nevada.

Amazingly, the two walked away unscathed, even though the plane suffered significant damage. The plane was not fighting the local fires and was arriving from out of the area.The was a naval patrol bomber and anti-submarine warfare aircraft for the United States Navy.

The P-2 Neptune replaced the PV-1 Ventura and PV-2 Harpoon and is being replaced, in turn, with the P-3 Orion. The P2V aircraft were rebuilt and converted into aerial tankers with a maximum fire retardant capacity of 2,700 gallons with six door retardant dispensing tanks. Over 8 P2Vs are currently employed in aerial firefighting roles by operators such as the Aero Union and Neptune Aviation Services.

I was pleased to observe and photograph this Snowy Egret at Lynx Lake, Prescott, Arizona. It had been several years since I photographed a Snowy Egret in California.

This Snowy Egret walked around the water and the shore looking for a meal. It was great to watch.

Among the most elegant of the herons, the slender Snowy Egret sets off immaculate white plumage with black legs and brilliant yellow feet. Those feet seem to play a role in stirring up or herding small aquatic animals as the egret forages. Breeding Snowy Egrets grow filmy, curving plumes that once fetched astronomical prices in the fashion industry, endangering the species. Early conservationists rallied to protect egrets by the early twentieth century, and this species is once again a common sight in shallow coastal wetlands.

The snowy egret is about two feet in length and has a wingspan of about three feet. It has white feathers, a yellow patch of skin around its eyes, a black bill and black legs with bright yellow feet. In breeding season, it has lacy plumes on its head, neck and back. Males and females look alike.

The snowy egret runs after its food. It eats shrimp, minnows and other small fish, crustaceans and frogs. It often feeds in groups.

Like other egrets, the snowy egret was once killed for its plumes. Its population was seriously damaged in the 1800's. It has made a recovery and is no longer hunted.

I observed and photographed this colorful Acorn Woodpecker, and it was a pleasure to watch.

Acorn Woodpeckers live in large groups in western oak woodlands. Their social lives are endlessly fascinating: they store thousands of acorns each year by jamming them into specially made holes in trees.

A group member is always on alert to guard the hoard from thieves, while others race through the trees giving parrotlike waka-waka calls. Their breeding behavior is equally complicated, with multiple males and females combining efforts to raise young in a single nest.

The oldest Acorn Woodpecker on record was at least 17 years, three months old.

I stopped to take this photograph of the north shore of Lynx Lake, Prescott, Arizona one day while photographing wildlife. It is a small beautiful lake with forests and wildlife.

This 55-acre lake quietly sets amidst tall pines in the cool Bradshaw Mountains high country just a few miles southeast of Prescott, Arizona. Lynx Lake is a relatively small lake, yet it draws over 125,000 visitors annually. At a 5,500 foot elevation, the cool, refreshing summer temperatures attracts a great number of visitors from the Phoenix area wanting to escape the desert heat. Lynx is the centerpiece of the Prescott National Forest and features boating, fishing, camping, hiking and tranquil solitude. Swimming in the lake is prohibited. Access to the lake has been provided for the physically challenged.

From the North Shore Vista Point, visitors have a wonderful view of the lake including Bald Eagle roosts. You may see Great Blue Herons Osprey, Great-Horned Owls, Belted Kingfishers and Double-crested Cormorant.

On the trip to relocate to Prescott, Arizona from Seattle, Washington I drove past the famous Roadkill Café, Route 66, Seligman, Arizona. I couldn't resist taking this photograph. Although I did not stop and eat there, I thought that you'd appreciate the humor of a few menu items. Thumper-on-the-bumper, Rack of Raccoon, Awesome Possum, Chunk of Skunk, Snake 'N' Bake, Swirl Squirrel and Rigor Mortis Tortoise.

On the trip to relocate to Prescott, Arizona from Seattle, Washington I stopped for gas and lunch at the Ludlow Café. Ludlow is a small town in the Mojave Desert on Interstate 40, located in San Bernardino County, California. The Ludlow Cafe offers a gasoline service, garage, and shade.

On the drive to relocate from Seattle, Washington to Prescott, Arizona, I stopped at a lookout, and I took this photograph.

Mount Rainier is Washington's highest mountain. It is the 21st most prominent mountain in the world with an elevation rise of 13,211 feet from its nearest low point. It is the most prominent mountain in the lower 48 states (the contiguous United States).

Mount Rainier, a giant stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, is considered an active volcano with its last eruption in 1894. Rainier erupted over a dozen times in the last 2,600 years, with the largest eruption 2,200 years ago.

Native Americans called the mountain Tahoma, Tacoma, or Talol from a Lushootseed word meaning "mother of waters" and a Skagit word meaning "great white mountain."

The great American naturalist John Muir climbed Mount Rainier in 1888. He later wrote about his climb: "The view we enjoyed from the summit could hardly be surpassed in sublimity and grandeur; but one feels far from home so high in the sky, so much so that one is inclined to guess that, apart from the acquisition of knowledge and the exhilaration of climbing, more pleasure is to be found at the foot of the mountains than on their tops. Doubly happy, however, is the man to whom lofty mountain tops are within reach, for the lights that shine there illumine all that lies below."

At a rest stop in the desert in California on my way to relocate to Prescott, Arizona I photographed this Grumman C-1 Trader that was parked across the freeway. The Trader was an onboard delivery aircraft (COD) now used in fighting fires.

I shot this skyline of the Seattle from West Seattle during a day of photographing nature. I found many diverse subjects to photograph in Washington.

Seattle is a city of many neighborhoods: Eclectic, urban, outdoorsy, artsy, gritty, down-to-earth, or posh—it's all here, from the quirky character of the Seattle Waterfront and the eccentric "Republic of Fremont," to hipsters walking baby carriages past aging mansions on Capitol Hill. There's something for just about everyone within this vibrant Emerald City.

Seattle is located between Puget Sound and Lake Washington in northwestern Washington State. Major cities within 100 miles include Tacoma, Olympia, and Bellingham, Washington; and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Little more than a century ago, Seattle—nicknamed "The Emerald City"—was a pioneer outpost and a quiet lumbering town. Transformed by the Yukon gold rush into a thriving metropolis, Seattle has become the transportation, manufacturing, commercial, and services hub for the Pacific Northwest as well as the largest urban area north of San Francisco, California. The city's arts community has gained an international reputation, annually drawing audiences from throughout the United States and abroad. Nestled between two magnificent mountain ranges, with a breathtaking view of a lake and bay, Seattle enjoys a climate one observer has likened to "an airborne ocean bath."

I visited Lake Union Park, Seattle, Washington the first time and enjoyed watching the seaplanes take off and land on the lake. I photographed this seaplane taking off with an unusual perspective.

“Maggie,” their Kenmore Air Seaplane, allows them to expand their daily destinations to a 300-mile radius. Once a week John Curley flies off to spectacular locations such as the New Dungeness Lighthouse, where you can be a caretaker or Jones Island in the San Juans where deer eat right out of your hand.

During a walk around Discovery Park, Magnolia, Washington I took this photograph of the mountains during a sunset.

Discovery Park is a 534-acre natural area park operated by the Seattle Parks and Recreation. It is the largest city park in Seattle, and occupies most of the former Fort Lawton site.

The site is one of breathtaking majesty. Situated on Magnolia Bluff overlooking Puget Sound, Discovery Park offers spectacular view of both the Cascade and the Olympic Mountain ranges. The secluded site includes two miles of protected tidal beaches as well as open meadow lands, dramatic sea cliffs, forest groves, active sand dunes, thickets, and streams.

Discovery Park is Seattle's largest park and offers a 534-acre natural area operated by the City of Seattle, Department of Parks and Recreation. The park occupies most of the former Fort Lawton site. There is a little bit of everything located at Discovery including two miles of rarely seen beach.

Situated on Magnolia Bluff and overlooking Puget Sound, Discovery Park offers spectacular views of both the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges. The secluded site includes two miles of protected tidal beaches as well as open meadow lands, dramatic sea cliffs, forest groves, active sand dunes, thickets, and streams. Hiking trails wind throughout the area. The 2.8 mile Discovery Loop offers a walk through forests of oak and Douglas fir, a meadow alive with the song of savannah sparrows, and breathtaking vistas of the sloping land and Puget Sound.

The role of Discovery Park is to provide an open space of quiet and tranquility away from the stress and activity of the city, a sanctuary for wildlife, as well as an outdoor classroom for people to learn about the natural world. Maintained in its semi-natural condition, the park will continue to offer a biologically rich and diverse natural area for urban dwellers and an unmatched opportunity for environmental education. Discovery Park is also home to the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center.

I lived within walking distance of the Space Needle at the Seattle Center, Washington. One day I watched people, mostly children, timing their run around the fountain in an attempt to get around it before the fountain cyclically spouted high streams of water. I decided to slightly colorize this image of a youngster running around the fountain.

The International Fountain is a mainstay from the World’s Fair but was completely replaced and expanded in a $6.5 million project in 1995. As the centerpiece of the broad open space and lawn, it has been transformed from its early days of hard iron nozzles and surrounding sharp-edged, white rock. Now children can play in the fountain bowl and venture right up to the smooth silver dome. By day the fountain is a favorite lounging area and delight for young and old.

Located in the middle of the Seattle Center’s lawn, this fountain boasts 274 water shooters, including four “super shooters” that can propel water to a height of 120 feet. And all of the waterworks are set to music. Depending when you arrive, it could be Beethoven, Duke Ellington, or Jimi Hendrix. And best of all, you are encouraged to play in the water.

I love to visit Renaissance fairs, and this was the first time I photographed people at the festival. Intrigued with the woman and her mask, I photographed this woman at the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Fair, Bonney Lake, Washington. I have been using this image on my photography business card, and I have a framed print in my home over the fireplace.

I took this photograph at Larrabee State Park, Bellingham, Washington. This is a wonderful place to share time with nature. especially seascapes.

Larrabee State Park is a 2,683-acre camping park with 8,100 feet of saltwater shoreline on Samish Bay near Bellingham in northwest Washington. The park features two freshwater lakes, coves, and tidelands. Sunsets are gorgeous. A variety of non-motorized, multiple-use trails winds through the park.

The area is known for Chuckanut sandstone. The park has tide pools to explore on Chuckanut Bay and Samish Bay. Two freshwater lakes add beauty to the forested terrain.

I photographed this friendly Harbor Seal in Friday Harbor, Washington. It was lingering in the fish market area, no doubt waiting for fish and crab treats. I found out later that he is a favorite of the locals.

Harbor seals spend about half their time on land and half in the water. They can dive to 1,500 feet (457 m) for up to 40 minutes, although their average dive lasts three to seven minutes and is typically shallow, and they sometimes sleep in the water. They are opportunistic feeders, eating sole, flounder, sculpin, hake, cod, herring, octopus, and squid. While harbor seals swim safely in the surf, they will often curiously watch humans walking on beaches. However, they are wary of people while on land and will rush into the water if approached too closely or disturbed. In fact, if disturbed too often, they have been known to abandon favorite haul-out sites or their pups.

In California, harbor seal pups are born between February and April and weigh about 20 to 24 pounds at birth. If born prematurely, harbor seals retain a whitish lanugo coat (which is usually lost before birth). A pup can swim at birth and will sometimes ride on its mother's back when tired. Pups make a bleating noise that sounds like "maaaa." After about four weeks, the pups are weaned. Adult females usually mate and give birth every year. They may live for 25 to 30 years.

Harbor seals are within the Order Carnivora, which means that they primarily eat meat. The meat they eat is fish in the nearshore waters of the park, such as herring, anchovies, sardines, hake, flounder, sole, salmon and sculpin. They also eat invertebrates such as octopus and squid and even crabs. The harbor seal is considered an "apex predator" because it feeds towards the top of the food chain. Apex predators are often used as an indication of the condition of their ecosystem because they can't do well unless all of the organisms within their habitat are doing well. Point Reyes has been using the harbor seal as one of the indicators of the condition of the area's marine systems. The population has grown and stabilized over the past decade, and females give birth to pups around every year. During El Nino years, though, female seals often skip giving birth, and the population counts onshore are lower, likely because seals are spending more time in the water looking for food.

I arranged for a free whale watching trip to Friday Harbor, Washington in exchange for photographs. When I arrived at Friday Harbor, I saw this 12 days old Nubian Goat and took this photograph. It was very cute and lovable.

The Nubian is a large breed of dairy goat. Nubians have long, bell-shaped ears that extend an inch beyond the face, and small upturned tails. Their fur is short and glossy and can come in a variety of colors including black, tan and red.

They’re known to be a fairly intelligent breed. The life expectancy of a Nubian goat is 10-15 years.

I arranged for a free whale watching trip to Friday Harbor, Washington in exchange for photographs. This is one of several Orcas I photographed from the boat. The pod was hunting seals.

The orca, or "killer whale" (Orcinus orca) is a toothed whale and is the largest member of the dolphin family. It is highly social and composed of matrilineal family groups. Orcas have long, rounded bodies with large dorsal fins at the middle of their backs. Their black bodies are marked with white patches on the underside and near the eyes.

Orcas feed on fish, squid, birds, and marine mammals. Like dolphins, orcas use echolocation - bouncing sound off of objects to determine their location - to hunt and use a series of high-pitched clicks to stun prey.

Orcas are highly social animals that travel in groups called pods. Pods usually consist of 5 - 30 whales, although some pods may combine to form a group of 100 or more. Orcas establish social hierarchies, and pods are lead by females. The animals are thought to have a complex form of communication with different dialects (slightly different language) from one pod to another.

I photographed this Honey Bee on a flower in Anacortes, Washington. I used a telephoto lens as I did not have my macro lens. It was challenging due to high winds.

The honey bee has been around for millions of years. The honey bee's wings stroke incredibly fast, about 200 beats per second, thus making their famous, distinctive buzz. A honey bee can fly for up to six miles, and as fast as 15 miles per hour. The bee's brain is oval in shape and only about the size of a sesame seed, yet it has remarkable capacity to learn and remember things and is able to make complex calculations on distance travelled and foraging efficiency.

The honey bee uses the most complex symbolic language of any animal on earth, outside of the primate family. Honey bees pack a million neurons into a brain that measures a mere cubic millimeter, and they use every one of them. Worker bees must perform different roles throughout their lives. Foragers must find flowers, determine their value as a food source, navigate back home, and share detailed information about their finds with other foragers. Karl von Frisch received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1973 for cracking the language code of honey bees – the waggle dance.

I had visited the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, La Conner, Washington several times but this was the first time I decided to photograph the colorful, diverse tulips. I took this photograph to emphasize the single yellow tulip among all the red tulips.

Summer is the season when the Skagit Valley shows her adventure. From Orca whale watching to white water rafting, the adventures are limitless. Kayak through Deception Pass, bicycle through the Valley, hike one of the many trails in our National Parks with views that will take your breath away. After adventure, one must relax. Relax at one of our beaches. Get to know the locals at a summer festival. Savor the Valley & Puget Sound bounty at one of our many fine restaurants. Adventures from the relaxing to the exhilarating are yours, all in a setting of stunning natural beauty.